Abstract

This archive contains data on sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) recorded at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) in the Tongue of the Ocean, Bahamas in August-September 2007. Data are provided showing when sperm whales were detected on the range during the time period, details about the availability of the acoustic data used in the analysis and finally, the number and size of sperm whale groups localized.Records in this dataset represent a sample of data used in the sperm whale group localizations. Fifty 10-minute periods were randomly subsampled from the available acoustic files, and clicking animals were localized, where possible. By chance, some 10-minute periods did not contain any sperm whale clicks.

Purpose

This dataset used multiple hydrophones at AUTEC to detect sperm whale clicks. Click trains from individual whales were identified, enabling the number of diving whales to be estimated. Assuming that all diving sperm whale groups at a given time are detected by AUTEC, then density of diving sperm whales can be estimated.

Supplemental information

Records in this dataset represent the sample of data used in the sperm whale group localizations. Each record represents the detection of a whale on a given hydrophone. A single whale may be heard on multiple hydrophones, as indicated in series.The related dataset describing when sperm whales were detected on the range is available at http://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/682.

Original data can be downloaded at http://www.creem.st-and.ac.uk/decaf/decaf-data-files under Case Study 2: Sperm whale data

Attributes

Overview

Attributes described below represent those in the original dataset provided by the provider.
Only minimum required attributes are visible and downlodable online. Other attributes may be obtained upon provider's permission unless otherwise noted below.

This section explains attributes included in the original dataset.
OBIS-SEAMAP restricts the attributes available to the public to date/time, lat/lon and species names/counts only.
Should you need other attributes described here, you are encouraged to contact the data provider.